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Edy, I'm going to have to take that test later. I'm covered up with a writing project here. Don, I heard that joke--lock them in the trunk of the car!

I just stopped in to share my joy. Titus Cole Tucker finally made the scene Tuesday morning at 1:52 A.M., weighing 7 pounds 4 ounces, and with a healthy set of lungs! How blessed we were to hold him after he was cleaned up and to go by the hospital Wednesday morning and spend a little time with Titus and his mom and dad before we came home---tired! We got to the hospital about 7:00 P.M.Tuesday evening and had some time to cuddle with Ella --one month old-- as she waited for her cousin to be born. My husband and I are so thankful we had the double blessing of welcoming two great grandbabies! and now back to work!

I'm so happy for you Verna and family! God is so good to give us precious babies to love and cuddle. I know I cannot get enough.

Good for you, test takers! I admit I had to guess on a couple answers - but I must be a pretty good guesser. I figure if we heard something once, it is buried in our brain files somewhere. So, I go with the answer that rings the closest bell.

Spring has finally arrived in Minnesota - hopefully! Beautiful sunshiney morning, around 40 degrees prompted us to take an early morning walk in the neighborhood, to the tune of 1200 plus steps on Howard's pedometer. We'll try to triple the number later today taking a walk across the Mississippi bridge near here. That is if it doesn't rain. I can't recall what the weather report was, if today or tomorrow looks like rain.

I'm working on my second book of poetry--was just giving it a final edit before sending it to my editor friend. In this one I have some humor, but eash one has a spiritual connection somewhere. I'm so hoping to find a publisher, though I know that 's an almost lost cause!

Verna, you should have no trouble finding a publisher. How about the one Lisa used? There are so many on Facebook who have books out now and no doubt some of them would be interested in your superb work.

Things here are a little better but they haven't yet told my sister in Boston about the nodules. She thinks the hospice nurse who comes every day is just a therapist to help her walking problems associated with her low sodium. I dread the day they have to tell her although it's been her experience to always trust God and never doubt Him.

I have a solid 10 days of a deep chest and head cold but now it seems to be waning. Thank God for antibiotics.

I love you guys.

Mariane Holbrook

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

It seems like forever since I've been to the porch....so much going on. We've just spent an extended amount of time with our kids and got home late this afternoon. I see there is much to pray about as well as the blessings of new birth. Speaking of this, we will be having another grandchild, number 11 counting a step grandson, in October. Monday I will have to start wearing a heart monitor for a week. Our six yr old grandson wore a heart monitor fir twenty four hrs because he has an irregular heartbeat. And I'm fighting a cold for the first time in years.

Don, I gave a bunch of books to Half Priced books but only received some credit on book purchases there. I also offered a bunch by email to extended family and friends, any who wanted them, and got rid of quite a few. I wondered if a nursing home or assisted living would like them. But that Amazon sounds like a fine idea. I had forgotten about that.

Come on out and play. Put your mittens and snow boots on too. It's still winter in Minnesota, ya know. The calendar don't mean nuthin'. Big storm a comin' tonight and tomorrow for us, and many others too - maybe a foot or more of wet, heavy snow. Some already have the nasty weather.

Come on out! We can have some fun building a snowman, and snow forts, and maybe have a good snowball fight. Oh, and bring your sleds too.

The way this long winter is hanging on, they'll need to clear the streets of snow for the July 4th parade.

Don

John 14:6Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

At least the white snow has brightened up the dreary landscape, Don! When hubby and I have been out walking, or driving to the store, the dirty dried leftover flora from autumn under gray skies makes us remark on the appearance of desolation.

Now, for your entertainment, since we are encouraged by the weather to remain housebound:

I haven't thought about this operetta we did in high school for years, but I woke up with it singing in my head, this morning! For some reason, the words to this song got planted in my head, way back then, I liked it so much:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKvd8keuo_g"...home is wherever the heart is you know, and mine is wherever you are...."

As I drove to work this morning, it appeared as if my headlights were not working. I double checked that they were on and I know they work, so I pulled off onto a side street and brushed the snow off the headlights. Mission accomplished. I once again had a beam of light in front of my car as I drove down the road.

I put in for a sub at work today so that I could go to my pre-op doctor appointment only to get a call from the doctor's office saying that she is sick today and I have to reschedule for Friday during the same work shift. I was extremely tired this morning for some reason, so I came home and lay down for a nap, only to be interrupted by a call from the nurse at the hospital with directions for before the surgery next week. I did get to sleep for about an hour or so. Now it is time to start planning things like who will take me to the hospital...

Now I am off to look at a vacuum of Craigslist. When I was waiting for my friend to come to clean the carpets in the house, I got so frustrated with my old vacuum. I cleared so many clogs that I believe it took me longer to vacuum the carpets than it did for him to clean them. I asked him for a recommendation for an inexpensive yet good vacuum and he said a "garage sale Kirby." Well, there was a moving sale listed on Craigslist that said they had a Kirby, so I called and am meeting her at 1:00 to look at it. They are asking 1/2 what any other Kirby on Craigslist was listed for.

"We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners."

You have wearied the LORD with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?” Malachi 2:17

Too bad you can't have your carpet man look over the Kirby and see if it's a good buy or a goodbye.

Edy, you must have had to go back a ways to get those recordings. They look like the old crank up players, with the dog howling at the moon. I did remember the first one, though.

Tell me what day your surgery is next week, Joanney. I want to be praying. I have two or three other friends who also have surgery scheduled then. God be with all of you.

I can only imagine how beautiful the snow is, Don and Edy. It's been so many years since we had even a dusting.

Carol, it's good to see your smiling face on here again. I figured you must be gone or heaven forbid, sick. I always felt better once spring showed its pretty self but it will be later than usual because of all the cold winter, rainy weather.

Guess what John is buying me! Remember the old metal porch gliders back when we oldsters were kids? Our front porch,when I was growing up, always had a porch glider on it, which was easily the most used piece of furniture in the house (or outside the house). The soft cushions made it possible for us to sleep out there when it was hot, or snuggle up to Daddy at night while he told us stories. Anyway, I've wanted one for years but they are cost prohibitive (as in VERY!). A restored one begins at $800 and some end up as high as $2200. I know it's a lot of work sandblasting the old paint off and applying a special powder paint,but that still seems high. I found one online much cheaper and besides they pay for shipping from Ohio. John said "Go for it! We'll all enjoy it!" I showed a picture of it to the boys and told them all the fun we could have on the upstairs deck overlooking the ocean, snuggling up together or playing games on the glider, even on rainy days. When we had the house built, we added several extra feet of porch so it accommodates 30 people easily. We've often had cookouts or ice cream parties out there on the deck and it's so much fun.

Anyway, that's all the news from this corner. Good to see you all again.

Big hugs!

Mariane Holbrook

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

If you think of it, please add my son, David, to your prayer list. He called a short while ago to tell me he had gone to the doctor today, and found out he has pneumonia. I feel so bad for him. He's had a rough go with way too many things ever since Christmas.

The last week of December he had terrible abdominal pain that was caused by a massive intestinal infection. They put him in the hospital for a week. It took five weeks for that to heal with strong meds. A colonosopy followed that, which revealed two polups and a cyst - which were removed successfully.

In mid-February he developed respiratory problems from allergies that required more strong meds.

In the last week of February his mom (Carol) was admitted into intensive care, where she died on March 1st. Of course, that entire week and the next week until her memorial service was very stressful for him.

Now, he has pneumonia and will need bed rest until that is gone.

His 43rd birthday dinner this weekend will need to be postponed for a while.

Don

John 14:6Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."